Tangled Roots

July 6, 2015
At the outset of Talley’s leisurely paced 14th Hannah Ives mystery (after 2014’s Tomorrow’s Vengeance), Hannah Ives and her husband, Paul, who live in Annapolis, Md., go looking for a vacation house along Chesapeake Bay. The couple settle on a charming English cottage, which was built in 1765 and needs a lot of work. During the renovation of the charming home away from home, one of the workers discovers the mummified body of a baby girl on the smoke shelf of the chimney, where it appears to have rested for over half a century. Hannah’s investigation into who the infant was and how she died involves her in unexpected ways in her new community. Despite the number of years that have passed, the story has ramifications for some local residents. Not surprisingly, dark secrets from Maryland’s past ooze out, making this a tale of love, greed, racism, politics, and power. Fascinating information on how to search historical records is a bonus. Agent: Vicky Bijur, Vicky Bijur Literary Agency.

August 1, 2015

After losing out on the house of their dreams owing to an unscrupulous realtor, amateur sleuth Hannah Ives (Tomorrow's Vengeance) and her husband, Paul, buy a fixer-upper on the Chesapeake Bay. Their renovations uncover the mummified remains of an infant in the chimney. When the dodgy realtor is murdered, is it possible that the two crimes committed 60 years apart are connected?

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2015
Hannah Ives is in a bad mood. The amateur sleuth, star of a series of popular novels, was burned in a real-estate deal. Now she and her husband are renovating another place, and they've found something shocking: a dead body buried inside their new house. A child, apparently. If you know Hannah, you know that she won't be able to rest until she finds out who buried the infant and why. Hannah is a likable narrator; she's a cancer survivor, and that always plays a role in the stories (here, she refers to her diagnosis in the book's opening sentence), but she doesn't dwell on it. She's not a cancer survivor who solves crimes; she's a crime solver who happens to have overcome a personal challenge. Like Hannah's life, the books are full of joy and sadness, of brilliant light and terrifying shadow. Fans of the series will be well pleased, and readers who haven't met Hannah should do so promptly.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

May 6, 2019
At the start of Talley’s mild 17th Hannah Ives mystery (after 2018’s Mile High Murder), Hannah, a resident of Annapolis, Md., whose jobs over the years have included archivist and library temp, hears from her sister, Georgina, who has just gotten the results of a DNA test. Georgina can’t believe that they show she’s one-quarter Native American. When Hannah has her DNA tested and receives the same results, she begins to research this hitherto unknown side of her ancestry, uncovering a relative who died under mysterious circumstances long ago. Along the way, the reader receives a tutorial on Native American life, both past and present, as well as a genealogist’s treasure trove of websites, archives, and investigative techniques for tracing twigs at the top of a family tree. Only well into the story does Hannah discover a body; her subsequent sleuthing hinges on her physical resemblance to a local policewoman and a chance meeting with an artist. Talley offers no thrills or chills, but those who have grown fond of Hannah will be content with this latest update. Agent: Vicky Bijur, Vicky Bijur Literary.